{"id":865,"date":"2026-05-21T12:04:43","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T12:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=865"},"modified":"2026-05-21T12:04:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T12:04:43","slug":"boston-legacy-fcs-upcoming-games-in-rhode-island-could-offer-a-glimpse-into-the-clubs-future-at-white-stadium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=865","title":{"rendered":"Boston Legacy FC\u2019s upcoming games in Rhode Island could offer a glimpse into the club\u2019s future at White Stadium"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With 30,207 fans in attendance for Boston Legacy FC\u2019s inaugural home opener, at the time an NWSL record, Gillette Stadium was more than half empty. <\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Nine Red Sox thoughts, leading off with Roman Anthony being asked to be great a little too soon<\/a><\/p>\n

Even with a few sections blocked off for the Legacy\u2019s May 3 match against Denver, the rowdy crowd of 12,524 fans \u2014 2,000 more than last season\u2019s league-wide average attendance \u2014 looked sparse in the hulking stadium. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[Gillette] is just too big,\u201d said Legacy chief marketing officer Sabine Feldmann. \u201cIf you have a good crowd in there \u2014 for the NWSL, having 10,000, 12,000 people in a stadium is a great crowd \u2014 it just never looks full at Gillette.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I., where the Legacy will play seven matches between now and September, offers a potential solution. With FIFA taking the reins at Gillette, to be called \u201cBoston Stadium\u201d for the men\u2019s World Cup, the Legacy will play their first match at their summer home Friday at 8 p.m. against Seattle.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 10,500-seat stadium, purpose-built for Rhode Island FC, presents the Legacy an opportunity to better connect with their fans while getting a glimpse into what the team\u2019s future could look like at White Stadium, which has a planned capacity of 11,000.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that number of attendees is perfect, especially with where women\u2019s soccer is going,\u201d Legacy goalkeeper Laurel Ivory said. \u201cIt creates more draw, it creates more talk, it makes people want to come out, and [it] creates demand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The team announced Wednesday that 11 sections of the stadium had sold out for Friday\u2019s game, and Feldmann said sales are trending in the right direction, but the team did not make the number of ticket sales public. <\/span><\/p>\n

Centreville Bank Stadium was built with soccer fans in mind, giving spectators a better view of the pitch from every seat and putting them closer to the action than they are at Gillette. The last midfield row of the lower bowl is closer to the pitch than the first midfield row is at Gillette Stadium. <\/span><\/p>\n

RIFC averages about 8,000 fans per game, and even that number makes the stadium feel like a \u201cfortress,\u201d stadium general manager Paul Byrne said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe configuration of the stadium itself and the seats \u2014 it almost feels like an outdoor arena,\u201d Byrne said. \u201cWhen those goals are scored by the Boston Legacy, we\u2019re looking forward to how loud it\u2019ll get within the venue.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Who leads the latest version of Boston\u2019s men\u2019s pro sports head coach power rankings?<\/a><\/p>\n

The stadium, which is in a residential neighborhood, offers a similar feel and layout to the plans for White Stadium, so the Legacy are using the games in Rhode Island as a testing ground for the fan experience in future seasons. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe get to test what works, see our fans\u2019 response to it, to create that incredible fan experience,\u201d Feldmann said.<\/span><\/p>\n

While players said they\u2019re looking forward to having the fans so close, the field itself may take some time to get used to. In advance of the World Cup, Gillette Stadium is furnished with top-of-the-line grass, while the surface at Centreville Bank Stadium is artificial turf. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Legacy scrimmaged Boston College at the venue in April and know what to expect from the surface: Balls will move faster and bounce harder than they do at Gillette.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited to play on it,\u201d forward Sammy Smith said. \u201cIt\u2019ll be an interesting game.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Legacy anticipate that in addition to their most faithful supporters, playing in a new venue will draw a new crowd of people, many of whom haven\u2019t previously watched or attended an NWSL match.<\/span><\/p>\n

To make sure those new fans stick around once the team moves back to Gillette Stadium at the end of this season \u2014 and eventually to White Stadium next season \u2014 Feldmann and her team are going all-in on the fan experience in Pawtucket. <\/span><\/p>\n

For some fans, the product on the pitch is enough to keep them coming back, Feldmann said. But for those who need more convincing, Friday\u2019s game will feature a poster-making station, face painting, hair braiding, balloon artists, a beach towel giveaway, a halftime performance from acrobatic Frisbee dogs, and postmatch fireworks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are giving fans such a positive experience, and that\u2019s all we can do,\u201d Feldmann said. \u201cThen they want to come back, irrespective of where we play, because now we\u2019ve turned them into fans. And hopefully they\u2019ll tune in for when we play on the road, and they\u2019ll buy tickets for when we play at home, whatever home might be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more How the Bruins can upgrade on defense this offseason, from minor additions to big swings<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With FIFA taking the reins at Gillette Stadium for the men\u2019s World Cup, the Legacy will play their first match at their summer home Friday at 8 p.m. against Seattle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":864,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"\nBoston Legacy FC\u2019s upcoming games in Rhode Island could offer a glimpse into the club\u2019s future at White Stadium - Boston Relocation Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=865\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Boston Legacy FC\u2019s upcoming games in Rhode Island could offer a glimpse into the club\u2019s future at White Stadium - 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